y you fought for them?"

As Reimers was preparing to answer, she interrupted him: "No, I will
question you. Wait a minute. Was it from love of adventure?"

"No. At least, that is not the right way of putting it. I wanted for
once to see something of the serious side of my profession. But even
that was not the chief reason."

"Well, then, was it in search of fame?"

Involuntarily Reimers deviated from his usual rule of answering
evasively, and replied: "No; that was not it either. I wanted nothing
for myself personally, or at most only to prove my fitness for my
profession."

"But neither was that your principal motive?"

"Oh, no."

"Perhaps it was indignation against the strong who were oppressing the
weak?"

Reimers was silent for a moment. Then he said: "Perhaps. But other
things contributed; above all, boredom. And--I wanted a decision as to
whether I was to live or not. I could not remain an invalid for ever."

"But still your chief, your final motive was the love of justice,
wasn't it?"

"Well, yes."

Hannah Gropphusen sank back again languidly. For the third time she
stretched out her hand to Reimers: "It rejoices me to find that such
people still exist, and to know one of them!"

Reimers had held her hand for a moment in his own. It was a small hand,
almost too thin, with slender fingers. As he looked at it, he was
reminded of the gentle hands of his mother. He respectfully touched the
beautiful fingers with his lips and rose. Frau von Gropphusen made no
effort to detain him.

"It is perhaps better for me," she said wearily; and as he reached the
door, she added: "But it has given me great pleasure to see you again,"
and she dismissed him with a friendly nod.

Reimers stood for a moment before the front door, thoughtfully
buttoning his gloves.

It was certainly odd; the very woman whom every one else seemed to
distrust appeared to him more worthy of esteem than any of the others.
He realised this only after the visit just paid. To her alone had he
answered frankly, and although they had hardly exchanged a dozen words,
he felt they under-stood each other perfectly. He could not avoid the
thought that their souls were akin. Each of them yearned after what was
great and beautiful in life. This woman, indeed, deserved pity, for she
had suffered shipwreck in the greatest and noblest end for which woman
is created--in her love; but he, thank God, was a man; and his ideal,
Germany, still stood out c